Shadow Hero primed to top strong challenge for Victoria Derby

The trainer of Victoria Derby favourite Shadow Hero is delighted the gelding is among a strong local crop of stayers.

Victoria Derby hopeful Shadow Hero and Perth model Sarsha Chisholm. Picture: David Caird

The trainer of Victoria Derby favourite Shadow Hero is delighted the gelding is among a strong crop aiming to land one of Australia’s most prestigious races.

While it is usually the case of the easier field, the better when it comes to claiming a race, particularly one worth $2m, trainer Mark Newnham’s assessment is based on a broader view.

Rival trainer Ben Hayes believes there are at least five strong chances in the Derby field headed by Shadow Hero, which the TAB has listed at $3.10 favourite.

Newnham agrees but feels that in a spring carnival where Japanese gallopers have already claimed the Caulfield Cup and Cox Plate, it is good to see some promising local stayers emerging.

He hopes that after the running of the 2500m race on Saturday, Shadow Hero will be considered a galloper capable of contending for the Melbourne Cup in coming years.

“It looks a strong Derby and I think that stands the industry in good stead for years to come, ­because we need some of these younger stayers to come through and combat the European invasion,” Newnham said.

“No one wants to see our races go offshore. Our classic races like the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups going offshore every year. We need to have horses here to support local breeders and owners with a chance to run in a Caulfield Cup and Melbourne Cup and be a chance of winning.

“So to see a strong field out here for the Derby, I think that augurs well for the future and hopefully we are talking about my bloke as a Cups horse after tomorrow’s race.”

Newnham was aboard Shadow Hero for a quick canter at Flemington on Friday and said the three-year-old is primed to perform.

Having targeted the race three months ago — Newnham even placed a futures bet of $100 on Shadow Hero to win the race at 26-1 for his dad as a Father’s Day gift — the preparation has gone to plan to date.

“It has been about a three-month plan and his preparation to date has been absolutely faultless,” he said.

“I have been able to gallop him when I wanted to. His trials were the exact dates I wanted to go to and he was always going to just have the four starts. He should be peaking at the right time.

“He was great the other day and there is a little bit of improvement left in him. He is getting here in the best possible shape he can be in and I think he just needs luck.”

Leading into an early season distance test like the Derby, there is always a question as to whether the contenders will be able to stay the 2500m.

Newnham said Shadow Hero, tipped by rival trainers Chris Waller and Hayes as clearly the horse to beat, showed in the Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick over 2000m that he could handle a challenge. Shadow Hero almost broke the track record when too good for Castelvecchio, who subsequently ran second to Lys Gracieux in the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley last Saturday.

“He was a very dominant winner of the Gloaming Stakes at Rosehill and then he followed that up in the Group I Champion Stakes, where they were just outside the course record,’’ Newnham said.

“For any horse of his age, to be doing that after six races, coming close to the Randwick course record and the way he ran through the line, it suggests that the 2500m will be no trouble.”